World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka stopped play during her US Open third-round match against Kamilla Rakhimova on Friday to alert umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore about a strong smell of cannabis on the Louis Armstrong Stadium court. ^[1] On September 4, 2026, world No. 1 tennis player Aryna Sabalenka paused her US Open match against Kamilla Rakhimova due to a strong smell of marijuana coming from the stands. ^[2] Sabalenka later told reporters she did not object to anyone enjoying themselves but asked for smoking to be kept away from the court. ^[3] Sabalenka told umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore 'Someone is smoking weed' while serving 30-0 up. ^[4] Sabalenka, who had taken a 3-0 lead, went on to secure a straight-sets win against Uzbekistan's Kamilla Rakhimova. ^[5] After the match resumed, Sabalenka defeated Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3 and 6-4 to advance to the quarterfinals of the US Open. ^[6] Sabalenka stated that someone was smoking marijuana and asked the referee to intervene to identify the person consuming it. ^[7] Sabalenka told referee Eva Asderaki-Moore that the strong marijuana odor made it very difficult for her to continue playing at her maximum level. ^[8] Sabalenka reached the round of 16 without dropping a set and recorded a stellar serving performance with 10 aces and zero break points. ^[9] Sabalenka, the two-time defending champion, won 6-3, 6-4 against Kamilla Rakhimova after overcoming a challenging test in the second round. ^[10] Sabalenka stated that the smell made it tricky to handle while trying to compete at her best, though she noted spectators are free to do whatever they want. ^[11] Sabalenka said she told the spectators they can do what they want but asked them not to smoke near the tennis courts because it is complicated to deal with the smell while trying to compete at maximum. ^[12]